


Uxorious

by ikigai (fencingfox)



Series: P/T Word of the Day [1]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M, Family, One Word Prompts, Wordcount: 500-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22419445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fencingfox/pseuds/ikigai
Summary: adjectivehaving or showing a great or excessive fondness for one's wife
Relationships: Tom Paris/B'Elanna Torres
Series: P/T Word of the Day [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1613410
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	Uxorious

**Author's Note:**

> Here's to the beginning of a year-long challenge to write a story prompted by a word of the day! I'm aiming to have stories between 500 and 1000 words with varying ratings. As the series suggests, this will be all P/T all the time. :D
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own the characters that belong to Paramount.

"Hey B'Elanna," Tom looked up from the kitchen table. She focused on her project at the coffee table.

"B'Elanna~," he pulled away from the table as he spoke. She looked adorable bathed under beige light. He left the kitchen to tiptoe closer. She didn't look up, but clicked a grey gear into place and cranked a lever. The conveyer belt look-a-like, an organized collection of haphazardly colored parts amidst the loose pieces, moved.

"It works." She continued cranking the lever. "Hey Tom," B'Elanna spoke as if she expected him at the kitchen table. She looked up when he didn't answer. "Oh hey," she said softer, "Thought you were still at the table."

He smiled. "I was, until you didn't hear my question."

"Sorry." She stopped cranking the lever to adjust one of the pieces that shook itself loose. "I must not have been paying attention."

Tom settled beside his wife, leaning so their shoulders touched. "You looked like you were having fun so I figured I would come to you."

"I'm making sure it's accurate before Miral plays with it."

He nodded his head in a playful response, "Sure, you are. Because you'd _never_ play with a kid's toy before she got a chance first."

"She looses the pieces."

Tom bit back a laugh. These two. He loved them more than.... He wasn't sure what he loved them more than but if someone named something, he was certain he'd feel confident to say he loved B'Elanna and Miral more than that something.

"What was the question?"

"Well it's not just a question. It's a quiz...that you need to do."

B'Elanna scoffed, "A quiz?" She turned toward him, skeptical herself. "What for?"

He tilted his head toward her, "For you," then tilted it away, "and for me." Tom pulled himself to his feet with a groan. He offered a hand to B'Elanna. Even a year before now, she would have swatted it away. This evening, she took it, but only for show, Tom knew, since she got up without pulling on his hand at all.

"Alright, I'll bite. Where's this quiz?"

"The kitchen table." Tom led her to the table and pulled out the chair for her. "I already set everything up, you just have to take the quiz."

"Okay..." She leaned forward slightly and inspected the computer screen. As she started taking the quiz, Tom gave her privacy by finding a PADD to read in the living room.

About ten minutes passed before B'Elanna returned to the project on the coffee table, disassembling this time.

"So, love languages. What made you think of that one?" B'Elanna asked, obviously amused.

"I didn't think of it. I found it." Tom set the PADD on the armrest at his left. He leaned forward to hold B'Elanna's shoulders. She shrugged him off. Tom leaned back, stifling a sigh, "What was the order it gave you?"

Days later, B'Elanna blinked as the lights washed out her vision momentarily, "Tom?" She'd hardly noticed how late it was before she left. The shock of the lights only drew her attention to the fact that she'd stayed late yet again. Didn't she and Tom argue about that last week? She sighed as the keys clattered on the kitchen table. The kitchen smelled lemony. "Are you home?" She began checking the rooms of the apartment, turning on lights as she went. "Hello?" The carpet felt extra soft under her socks. He must have vacuumed. She smiled. She hates to vacuum.

"B'Elanna," his voice came softly from Miral's bedroom, "come here. Don't turn on the lights though." She slid her feet across the carpet so she wouldn't step on any sharp toys. Tom's hand reached out for her waist. He drew her close under the dim glow of Miral's star lamp. Tom kissed the top of her head. "She got tuckered out helping me clean."

"I thought you vacuumed," B'Elanna whispered with a smile.

He nodded his head as he smoothed Miral's hair. "We both did." Miral fidgeted under his touch. He pulled away, not wanting to wake her. Her face settled.

"Why'd you do all the cleaning?"

"I did it because I love you," he mumbled into her hair. B'Elanna stared down at Miral. She left before Miral shook off her grogginess that morning. B'Elanna regretted not seeing her daughter active. 

After a silent moment of watching their daughter sleep, B'Elanna tugged on Tom's arm to have him follow her so they could have a conversation without risking waking Miral. Of course, if that conversation resulted in an argument.... "Aren't you upset I was late again tonight?"

"No," he replied as he redirected them toward their bedroom. She didn't want to get sidetracked, but he didn't seem to consider this a distraction. "I know you love your job."

She asked bluntly when she realized, "When was the last time you thought I loved my job more than you?" She added, "Answer honestly." In the corner of her eye she saw Tom wince. B'Elanna stepped away, upset with herself for hurting him. Tom reached for her but his fingers only grazed her arm.

"Today, at breakfast. You rushed out the door so fast you forgot a kiss goodbye." It was silly, he knew. He took a tentative step forward. B'Elanna turned to face him. Tom stopped, a meter from his wife.

She looked up at him apologetically, "I'm sorry I made you feel that way." He caught sight of her idea spark. "That quiz. What was your order?"

"You'll think I made it up."

"You didn't make up the quiz did you?"

"No." Before now, he thought he could subtly drop hints until B'Elanna caught on. "A tie between 'Physical Touch' and 'Words of Affirmation'," he replied.

"Physical touch hmm?" She asked. He nodded. B'Elanna tilted her head toward the bed. "That wouldn't happen to include sex would it, sexy man?"

Tom laughed. "I'm liking the nickname, sexy woman." He grinned. "Of course it includes sex."


End file.
